City of Tulsa to ask water customers to help in water quality survey

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TULSA - Thousands of Tulsa residents this week will be asked to participate in a water quality survey.

Though while like most surveys this survey will involve a brief questionnaire, unlike most it may require a bottle of water.

Tulsa officials said on Friday that in the coming week as many as 4,500 water customers will receive a questionnaire and potentially a request to fill a one-liter bottle with tap water.

The completed questionnaire will enable the city's water quality laboratory to determine if the plumbing in the home is appropriate for the testing according to federal standards.

The bottle of tap water – filled from a faucet or tap not used for six hours and then placed on the front doorstep of the home – will be picked up by a city employee wearing a city employee uniform and driving a City of Tulsa vehicle. The water will be analyzed to determine how much lead or copper is in the water.

Participating customers will receive a copy of the laboratory results for their home. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires cities to test water samples for evidence of many minerals, metals and contaminants.

Because Tulsa's water for many years has been well within EPA standards, the city has been able to test in fewer homes.

In 2013, the city will test the water in up to 200 homes.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.